(A/N: This chapter really ties in with Mini Shepherds. For anyone that wants to read the full chapters where the groups meet, it's chapters 15, 24, and 32 for the first, second, and third encounter respectively. Hope you enjoy the chapter and the story so far!)

Basilio had talked to an Anna so she would tell Malin who would then explain to Marth that they had a new job: to help give supplies to a village on the Ylisse-Plegia border. Marth and Malin both willingly helped the village, using their aliases as they have been for over a decade now. It took a few months of traveling back and forth, but Malin finally heard news that Chrom was sending an official group out to supply the village.

Among the news, he also heard about a group calling themselves the Mini Shepherds. Composed of seven members, the oldest was Lucina at age seventeen and the youngest was Morgan at thirteen. Telling Marth of both bits of information, one of their conversations had even been about the group.

"I don't know why Chrom lets them go out and travel like this," Marth said quietly, as she normally did when they were camping outside. "Or how Robin was convinced to agree to it. They might need the experience, some day, but it just…doesn't sit right with me."

"I'm just glad Robin's letting Morgan out and about," Malin said. "There was a while when some people questioned if he even existed. Chrom and Robin wouldn't let them go if they weren't ready."

Marth would have replied, but she seemed to notice something. "…It sounds like there's fighting close by."

"Bandits and a couple of village kids, probably," Malin said. "Do you want to help them?"

Marth nodded wordlessly, and they made their way there. He could vividly remember her hissing "I never said you could share my name." when morning came around and none of the Mini Shepherds were close by. That was their first meeting.

…

They had been asked to go to Regna Ferox a while ago. Marth was suspicious of Basilio's intentions from the start, but work near Plegia kept them from visiting immediately. Malin somehow got her to accept his request to go to Regna Ferox as an apology, learning upon their arrival that Basilio had intended to reunite them with Chrom and Robin (Flavia then assured them that, even if they had come when they were originally planned, it would have simply been an earlier introduction to the Mini Shepherds—although Marth still wasn't particularly pleased with it).

Marth and Malin were asked to do something while they were there; to compete in a tournament against the Mini Shepherds. Malin didn't agree with how she chose do to it, but in an attempt to give Lucina 'a fair warning of what she would have to face,' Marth hurt her, later dramatizing it all as they grew closer to Ylisstol. The mercenaries and Lon'qu turned out to be victorious, and Morgan was one of the best sports Malin had ever seen.

The time came and went. Marth had, as she explained on the way to Ylisstol, taken off her mask in a moment of reverie. If Morgan saw the Brand in her left eye, he made no mention to it. That was their second meeting.

…

Returning to Ylisstol was a lot more stressful than it should've been. Marth was on edge, which in turn made Malin feel on edge, and there were a few arguments that resulted from it. One particular fight led to him going to the castle—but not to give away Marth's identity, as she had challenged. Finding a bit of trouble with the guards—some of which actually seemed to recognize him—Malin was close to ready to giving up before Morgan confirmed he was a friend.

At first told that they'd think about it, his petition for Marth's Falchion and the Mini Shepherds were approved by Chrom, Robin, Lissa, and Frederick (the latter of which probably wasn't fond of the idea regardless). Going to Marth to tell her the news, he returned to the castle so he could spend the rest of the day with Morgan.

Soon they would head for Mount Prism. And, soon, they would learn of who Marth and Malin truly were. That was their final meeting.

…

It was dark and late. They were in a forest not too far from Mount Prism, and personally Malin was exhausted. The Mini Shepherds were in tents, a few of them sharing one due to lack of space, but they never complained. Lucina had bid goodnight a little while before; she was likely asleep by now. Malin would be too, if Marth hadn't told him that she wanted to speak with him.

"So," Malin said quietly so he didn't disturb the Mini Shepherds, "What did you want to tell me?"

Marth didn't reply for a few moments. Finally, she asked, "Do you think they'd forgive us for what we'll be doing? It's not fair; there's no way that it could be. I don't want her to hate me."

"I very highly doubt anyone here would hate you," Malin replied. "At the very least, not for more than a few days. They'll forgive us, I'm sure; you might've tried to be antagonizing, but they could even miss us."

"I want to leave with as little doubts as possible," Marth said firmly. "I want peace of mind. I'm not worried about Chrom or Robin; they've dealt with this problem before and have the experience to properly handle it. I'm more concerned about how the Mini Shepherds would view us once we left. Will we be heroes that live up to the legends, or shadows compared to the legends they live with? We can be glorified or demonized by anyone; I'd prefer if they didn't do the latter."

"You're overthinking it," Malin said. "Don't worry about it, Sis; it'll be fine. We'll go home, find the others, and rebuild whatever's left. Everything here would be okay, and no one will hold our actions against us for long." After a short pause, he added, "Besides, I doubt we can cause a lot more pain than we already have."

Falling into silence, Malin shortly thereafter declared he would go to bed. Marth offered to keep watch, and in a few hours they switched. The process repeated until morning, when the group continued on with their journey to Mount Prism.